Iethod of and apparatus for generatjnq



vPaented Feb. 9,

DEUTHBR, Y METHOD 0F AND4 APPARATUS FOR'GBNERATING GAS.

fm: Hemus PETERS co. pHoro-Lm@ wAsHmsTcN, n.1:4

(No Model.)

` -generatedby regpilatins'i zh p UNITED STATESv TcrzZ'Z whmit may concern.; Y i' Be lt known that l, JAMES A. DEUTHER, ot 'Bostom'ln the'county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetta have invented anew and use- 5 ful; Improvementin the Method of and Appa. 5- ratus for Generating Gas, (for which lhave obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 20,599, lbeaiinc: date September 17, 1896,) of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification.

- 4 'lhisjin'vention relates to the generation of illuminating or other gas from' calcium car- Y :bid'or-other chemical substances which, when treated-with water or other liquid, generate a 1 x5. hydrocarbonor other gas.

y -@The object of this invention is to automat- 2icallyy control the positive generation of a determined amount-of gas byfeeding a 'lined rqua'ntit'yof the calcium carbid and adulter ants to the water or other liquid contained in Athe generator in-vhich the gas. is generated. The present automatic apparatuses for gen- 1 erating gas from certainche'mical com pounds 4tavhich -are-.detzjomposable by action of water z5. oroth'er liquids are either faulty or unsafe frmfthefact'that such apparatuses depend yuponjthevolume or pressure of gas so `:generatedtoV control the' access of `trat-er or other In ,other .'words /by limiting the supply of WaterV admitted to said decomposable compou-nds itis endeavored to limit the amount of gas generated by theadmission of water or :other liquid toisuch compounds. In these de- Lvices,wltere:.the vpressure or volume of gas gerrerctedisruede use of in such -mannerto regulate theramont f gas to be generated, a

frtherrelemeptof-danger is presented from. ,the fact than-should the pressure or volume.

controllingthe devices foran admission of substances become 'inoperative such a quan- Ititypf gas may .be generated as to renderthe 'generating apparatus a source of danger.

I t ismy purpose and object to practically and'safely control 'the amount of gas to be e quantity of p'ure "calcium, carbid or u gous compounds to JAMES n. DEUTHER, oF Boeren', MAsscHusnrijs. :Mein-.toner nNnAPPARATUs Fon cENERiNcieAs PEWFICTION formis um of Letters Patent No. 576,955, dated Fem-sii 9, iso?. Y* lppllcatien.led July 1S. 189B'. Serial No. 599,025. (No model.) Petentedinlngland September 17, 1896,1o. 0,599-

. V"llqliidfto thesaid decomposable compounds.

3' .in the gas-gen'eratoi.

PATENT relou to time. It is my purpose andobject to control the feeding of thisl fixed quantity of pure calcium carbid by regulating the operation o-i" the feeding apparatus by the pressure or volu me of gas so generated, which preferably may be stored in a gasometer, but not necessarily'so, so that the calcium carbid is only fed as the pressure or volume of the gas generated decreases, and no calcium carbid is fed `when the pressure-or volume is above a certain point.y From tliis it is obvious that it is impossible by my invent-ion'tocont-inue generating an -indefinite quantity of gas, 'because only a fixed quantity of pure calcium fcarbid and adulterants capable of generating a determined amount of gas is fed from time to time, which f feeding depends upon the pressure or volume of the'gas generated and stored preferably in the gasometer. y

For carrying out my invention'l take calcium 4carbid oriother analogous` substances adaptedv when treated with water or 'other liquid to evolve a hydrocarbon or other combustible gas and form it into tablets of definite forni or weight and 'containing a definite amount of pure calcium carbid audadulterants,'and 'as each tablet represents'aviixed quan tity of pure calcium carbid a determinedquantity of gas is tgenerated `f rom each of said tablets .when fed to the water or other-liquid I take said `:calcium carbid or other analogous substances, whether v produced in a solid form, either crystalline or' =as a mass, and pulverize the same, o'rfiit i's originally in an amorphous condition and by'f addition or otherwise have a product contaming pu'recalci-um carbid and adu1terants,;and

place the samein' molds of the'size adapted to ultimate requirements. Y Forl instance, we

have a mass of the substance' and we takeamoldholding, saygtencu'bxc niches: "In "said ten, cubic inches I propose always to put, and

'cium carbid which said -ten cubicinches'is to loo contain. Taking, for instan'c`e,ahouse where liquidiso thatpnly so mucll gas isg'encrated --fmraccording to the fixed quantity of. pure Vcalf there is only required a gasolnetler holding t-wo cubic feet of gas to properly operate the" feeding mechanism and fill requirements of i "ciunrcarbidand adulterants as fed from time saidlhouse," we will have such feeding mech anisin drop in the apparatus of such a house a tablet capable only of generating au amount ,of gas that would not cause the said holder` to blow or give a greater or less volume than p is designated to operate themechanism oi' that particular apparatus. Now it is clear that in such substances if one ponndlof the uniform calcium carbid and adulterants gives, say, four cubic feet oi gas when decomposed ,bywater then a certain Weight of such' uniform decomposable substance may be taken,

-to feed a definite amount or" calcium. carbid or analogous substance it is preferable to put such a substance in a tablet erin, each-tablet representing by decomposition a deiinite volume of gas, and by means ol? suitable apparatus these tablets are fed from time to time, depending upon the pressureorvoiume ot' the gas generated.

It will be understood that while it is preferable tofeed the material. in a tablet forni nyet the powdered substance can bellied to 'the Water in the generatingchainber in, any suitable receptacle without being compressed, it being understood, however, that said receptacle is capable of holding a definite quantity dfsuch substance, which, upon decomposition by 'contacte-'ith water or other liquid, gives a deiinitevolu me ,of gas.

The process of treating calcium carbid or analogous substances to 'le the saine ol .imifpigm,composition and n' ning therewith a bindingiterial and forming the sainepreferably into tabletgeach tablet representing` vby decomposition adtermlned volume of gas, and also the generation or" gas from the calciuml carbid treated as just described, are not claimed in this application, but form the subject-matter of another application 'iiled by 'me on the 13th day of July, l89(, Serial No. 599,024.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a central Vertical section through the gas-genn erating chamber and gasorneter and with other parts in elevation. Fig 2 is a plan view taken ou the line X X off'iig. l, Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view in perspective of one of the tablets ofcalcium vcarbid or analogous substance.

like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

A represents a'gas-gen erating chamber constructed, preferably, of steel or other suitable material of suiiicient strength and provided with a tap-hole closed by a plug A and 'an openingnear the top provided with a cover A2.- 'In the top of said-generator there is provided an openingpr port Bfor the purpose hereinafter described, Over the top ot' said chamber and secured thereto 'there is located avesse a chamberC, closed on the sides and at the end C3 to prevent escape of gas and open at :the end C, and having an upper plate C' and a lower plate C2, and in the lower plate C2 there is a port C, which registers with the port li.

Secured to the top plate C' there is ahop per l), haring a suitable cover D' and a series of bolts D2, which secure said hopper to the'top plate C'. The bottom of said hopper is open and com munieateswith the chamber C, and in said hopper there are located a num ber of tablets DI" of calcium carbidor analogous substance, which are adapted, as hereinafter described, to drop into said 4chamber and then to be pushed forward toward the ports B and C5 by the piston Gin its reciprocations in said chamber G.- This hopper containing the carbid is atall times out of contact with the vapor or liquid in the gas-genediting chamber or the gas generated by the decomposition of the' calcium carbid or anal ogoue compound, so that the calcium carbid or analogous compound is not disintegratedY vuntil brought into cont-act with the liquid in the gas-generatingchamber. To the rear end cis pis entender n wai-illy and is pivctally connected at FS io the cross-arm l?? of the horizontal arms l and il, which are on opposite sides of the chamber l), and at their front ends form a cross-bai' lll, to which is pivotally connected the armlf, which in turnis pivotally connected at tothe arm' Ei of the bell* crank lever E, pivoted `to a standard E, secured to the generator A, and the lower arm E2 of said bell-crank lever is provided 'with fa slot T37, in which is located the rod N, and on said rod N', below; said slot, is an adjustable uut 0, having a set-screw O'. The said rod N exten ds upwardly and passes through the slot M on. the rod M', and above said rod there is located an adjustable nut N', having a set.

ton there is secured a rod F4, which screw N2.- The said rod M is provided with a sleeve L, and by means of a set-screw L can be adjustably located on the vertical rod L. The said rod L at its lower end is -pro'- vided with a lange L4, which is yriveted to the top of the bell il' of the gasometer J,

which bell is sealed in a liquid and capableof rising and falling according to the varying amount of .gases stored therein.

The gas generated 'in the generator A passes by tlcr pipe4 H to the b ell ll ot" the gasome- -ter, from thegasometer itis condupted for use by a pipe K, which has a suitable valve li', which can be used' to shut ol the flow of the gas. i

Suppng ml" that one of thetablets of calcium carbid or other analogous substance 1s dropped into the rectangular' cham- Iza bei` C from the hopper D and has'been' pushed forward by the piston G (the apparatus of course being first started byhand) until it reaches the porte (l2 and B, whence it dropped into waterv of the generator -A, and'the ,das evolved 'bygthe calcium carbid oranalowww.

go'us substance coming into contact with the o. factson the lower arm lli'ofthebell-crank Eanrtrmrsssrthr arnet-Gnd .0f thehun E -to move the arm E; rods F and F', and the cross-arm F2 to `move, rearwardly valoug'thc` guides G', providcbin the' chamber C for guiding thepistou G, and by means of .said rods, as above described, the piston G ismoved rearwardly until its front edge alines with the roar edge of the hopper D, when one of the tablets D will drop into the cham-l ber C in front of the pist-on. New so long'us' the volume of the gas is at a certain point the bell ll' of the gasomcter will4 remain in its raised position, but as the gas is used its volume decreases in proportion-tothe use, and the bell II will slowly fall and withit the rods M and N, and the adjustable nut 0,I moving away from the arm E2, will no longer support the-same, and said arm El is moved downwardly by the lower end M2 of the rod M as the bell H and rod M move downwardly upon theldecrease of volume of gas in said gobell Il', and in said downward movement the arm E2 willmove the `arms En E, rods F4 and F', and the piston G' forwardlyto the p0- sition shown in full lines, Fig. 1, and the tablet1 previously dropped into the chamber C in front .of the' piston G will fall into the water contained in the generator A and the gas generated from the new tablet will'pass over into the gasometer. Y

From the above t-v is clear that .in the operation of my apparatus the feeding of the tab'- vlets of calcium carbid or analogouslsubstance will be controlled by' the pressure or volume of the gas generated, and, as previously described, each tablet represents by decompo-V sition a definite volume of gas; Consequently ,it is clear that having a fixed amount of calcium-carbid, which represents by decomposition a dcnitc volume of gas, it is possible lto provide generating app'ara-imscsl and to supply said generatingapparatues with calcium carbid or analogous substance in suoli amounts as that each apparatus can be provided with tablets which gencrateavolume of gas'rc'quired for such apparatus. For instance, in a house where there is only required v, a gasometerlholdin g two cubic.footeffgasi'oVA properly operate the feeding mechanism and iill `the requirement of said house, the appa ratus'will be constructed to drop intqthe gas- 6egener'ator of such a house atablet capable of generatingonl'y two cubic feet offga's', which would not'fcause saidgalsoineter to' blow or to give a greater or less volume than required 'to operate the mechanism of l th@ apparatus located in said house, and likewise for gasometers `requiring three 'cubic'feet of gas, four -cnbicieet of gas, and soon.

j shown' nir-fot*apparatuswirr. which! fHavingthusjascertainedithe na invention; `what -Il claim Jas newfl's' Thefhereinidescribed process ioigencr tor as to keep ,'thcmout of contact with the liquid therein or vapor thereof, and third, in.

erator bymechauism operatedby the volunie of the gas in such vmanuerthat each feed" of the carbid shall generateamined amount of gas.

2. In a gas-generatingapparatus, a gaaf generating chamber for holding-wateror other liquid and provided with a gas-outlet, a receptacle for holding compact bodies. of -metallic-earbid'compounds containimgz;A a dccompact' bodies of metallic-carbid compounds to said gas-generating chamber and adapted. tobe operated by" the variations of the volume of the gas generated-l l,

' 3. In a gasgenerating apparatus,'a gasother liquid and having a gas-outlet, a gasometer with which said gas-outlet communiv cates and in which the gas :generated is stored, a receptaclefor holding compact bodies of metallic-carbid compounds capable of generating determined amounts of gas, and mechanisml for feeding ,sa-idM compact gas-generating chaxijbcrA and adapted to be operated by the variations of thezvolulne of the gas in the gasometer.

A 4. In ,al gas-generating apparatus, a'gasgenerating chamber for holding water or other liquid and havin g a gas-outlet and a port through which metallic carbid .com poundsare fed to said rgasgenerating' chamber,. a gasometer with which said gas-outlet is stored, acham ber located on said gasgenerating chamber and havinga portregistering Afluor, a receptacle-tor heidingconrpact bodies eating with said chamber, andv mechanism carbid compounds to said gas 1 generating .chamberand adapted'to'be operated by the yvariations `oi lthe Volumeof the-gas in the gasomcter, e t Y 5. In 'a gas-generating apparatus,al` gas generating' chamber for `holdingwater 0r port;` through which, metallic carbid. com

, V atingil-iacetylene lgaswhich' consists-.rin first. forming' the carbidinto compact bodies" eachfv containing a 4determined amount offcarbidill and capable of generating a dcte'rmincd 'amount of gas, and'scc'ond in so storingsuch" compact bodies with reference to a genera-J feeding such bodies to the liquid of `thegervA ldetergeuerating chamber for-l1olding .water orl with the'port of said-gas-generatingcham# of metallic-carbid compounds and communif4 ymys'lftofthe construction o t the apparatus and describedjas itfsimplyzrepresentsa7c 1y"'in1ven 5 termined amount of metallic carbid, 'and mechanism for automatically. feeding *saidros,-

bodies of metallic-carbid?ponipoiidsto said lcommunicates and in which the gas generated for feeding said vcompact .bodies of metallicother liquid, and having egcs-outlet and a and mmumimtng with said chmnber, an'd mehsmm im feeding; said compact bodies mmxglmmber and consisting of a, piston adapted to feed :said metalc-cmbid compistou *Lo actuaire the S51-m@ aud adapted ob operated by the variations ofl the voume 0E the gas in the gasnmeter. f

in tesmmwvhemof nm-:e signed my nam@ *zo his Specification, in the presence of two Subscribing Witnesses, on this fth'dny of May, Af-D. 1896.

lJAMES A. DEUTHER.

Witnesses:

A. 'LOUISE MESSER, E. L. HARLQW, 

